Expert: Social media needs to ‘wow’

So you want to enter the rewarding world of social media marketing? The good news is you may be ready to do so, even if you don’t think you are. At least, that’s what online marketing expert Michael Hyatt recently told The Tennessean.

When it comes to using social media for marketing purposes, Hyatt said you don’t need to overthink it. Some may raise an eyebrow at this statement, but Hyatt’s track record speaks for itself. In addition to becoming a New York Times bestselling author thanks to his 2012 book “Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World,” the expert also has 226,000 Twitter followers and 417,000 blog subscribers, according to the news source.

Before your use of social media takes your content marketing strategy to the next level, you need to be ready to “wow” your audience.

“If ‘wow’ is not your goal, you’re aiming too low,” said Hyatt, as quoted by the news outlet.

So how does one go about impressing current and potential customers? Hyatt recommends giving more than you ask for, whether you’re educating or helping to solve problems. Share your passion via a blog or a podcast, start a dialogue on websites such as Facebook or Twitter, and understand that success may not come overnight.

With the right strategies, however, it’s possible you could speed up the rate at which you see positive results. For example, you don’t want to stretch yourself too thin. John Lee Dumas, founder and host of EntrepreneurOnFire, told Social Media Examiner that you should build a strong presence on three or four social media websites.

Meanwhile, Fast Company suggests you follow or favorite any Twitter users that retweet your content. This could help you grow your network at a much faster clip.